TOW The Accident
by Llew
Summary: Chandler and Monica have the perfect life. Now they learn how fragil that can be.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: The characters in this story are not mine.

* * *

Monica was sitting on the couch in her nearly empty apartment. _'Well, empty wasn't the right word_' she thought with a quick glance at all the boxes standing neatly piled near the door.

She and her husband Chandler were moving out of the city. They had found the perfect house in Westchester where they would start their new life as a family – with the new baby they were adopting which could be born any day now, a new car fitting the then bigger family, new neighbors who – thank god – didn't include a certain ex-girlfriend of her husband, and even new friends they would make.

Often the thought of leaving behind her friends made her depressed. So she wasn't surprised when tears started to shine in her eyes. She took a tissue out of the box sitting on the end table at her left side and dabbed it at the corners of her eyes. Monica didn't know what was going on with her. She was very moody the last couple weeks but she shrugged it of as moving anxiety and smiled as she thought about the new life she and Chandler were about to start.

Later that day Monica was sleeping on the couch when someone barged through the apartment door startling her awake. She bolted upright and turned around to see who had woken her so harshly that her heart was trying to jump out of her chest.

Her eyes fell on a scared looking Joey. He held up his hands in front of him in an apologizing gesture.

"Hey, Mon. I'm so sorry that I woke you. But I didn't know you were sleeping."

"Well, maybe you should always assume someone's sleeping before you storm into someone else's apartment. Just to be on the safe side, you know." Monica growled.

Joey looked around the apartment trying to find something to avert Monica's attention.

"Hey, where is Chandler?" was all he finally came up with.

"At work." Monica answered as if it was obvious.

Joey made his way over to the fridge to help himself to some food – the reason why he came in to the apartment in the first place.

"So, he's working late today?"

" Nooo…why do you ask?" Monica rubbed her eyes while getting up.

"Because he usually works till four sometimes four thirty and now it's already half past five." Joey stated, his head buried deep inside the refrigerator.

"What? Really? Is it already that late?" Monica asked. If it was true she would have napped for almost three hours. She walked over to the kitchen to look at Joey's watch wrapped around the wrist he held in her direction demonstratively.

"You are right…that's weird." Monica said letting go of Joey's hand.

"Thank you very much." He said sarcastically before biting into the apple he had pulled out of the fridge with the other hand.

Monica made her way over to one of the chairs and plopped down. "No, I mean it's weird that Chandler isn't here by now. He didn't say anything about coming later today."

"Hmm…then where is he?"

* * *

Chandler felt like whistling when he stepped out of his office building but since he couldn't whistle very well he suppressed the urge and settled for expressing his mood by smiling brightly. His life couldn't get any better. He was married to the love of his life. They were adopting their first child to complete their little family and were moving to a new house. And to top it all off he finally had a job he loved. Just that day he and his team had finished a big project and now he had all the finished paperwork inside his briefcase. The next day he had his first really big presentation in the office building of an important client.

Chandler looked up at the clear blue may sky and breathed in the warm and for New York somewhat fresh air and decided to walk home since he got out of work a little early today and he loved walking in New York – letting himself be carried away by all the other people going in his direction. He knew he would miss the crowds when he lived in the suburbs. But that was a price he was willing to pay because he knew that what he would get in return was worth so much more.

Chandler was pulled out of his thoughts when someone going against the walking direction bumped into him. Chandler smiled at the man and wanted to step around him when suddenly he saw him pull a knife out of his pocket. Before Chandler knew what happened the man pulled him closer and hissed in his ear.

"No sound or sudden move or I'll stab you."

Chandler was so shocked he could only nod his head.

"Now give me your wallet and your watch – faster." The man demanded when Chandler slowly pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He gave the man his watch too and hoped the mugger would leave.

"And now the briefcase." The thug said after putting away the other items.

"No, come on, please. There is nothing valuable in there. Just a few papers I really need." Chandler pleaded clutching the briefcase to his chest.

"But is it worth dying for?" The man snarled before raising the knife. Chandler couldn't even do anything before the grip of the knife came down on the side of his head. For a moment everything went black and he closed his eyes. When he opened them a second later he saw every thing blurry due to the tears of pain pooling in his eyes. He felt the briefcase being ripped from his arms seconds before a push sent him falling into the street. He came down hard on the asphalt and hit his head on the street. The last thing his mind registered before it all went black again was screams and a car coming right at him.

* * *

"Hey Mon. Is Chandler here?" Monica's brother Ross came into the apartment fifteen minutes after Joey. "He has to check out my new, edited Alumni Page. I printed him out a copy. I hope that way he won't get any ideas messing with it." Ross told his sister excited waving a few sheets of paper. When he looked up he saw his sister crying in Joey's arms.

"Oh Monica, what happened?" Ross went around the sofa and sat down on the coffee table placing a hand on Monica's arm. The first thing that came to his mind was that something had happened to Erica's baby.

"It's Chandler." Joey said with a sympathetic look cast at Monica when she didn't answer Ross.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Ross asked with a choked voice, already fearing something terrible judging by his sister's state. He could swear his heart skipped a couple of beats by the mention of Chandler's name. He didn't want to believe that something bad could've happened to his friend. No, Chandler was more than a friend. He was his brother. And he became his brother long before he became his brother-in-law.

"We don't even know if anything happened to him." Joey tried to calm down Ross when he saw the panic in his eyes. "It's just that he isn't home by now. And I called his work. He left there around three and now it's…quarter to six." Joey explained after a look at his watch.

"Did you try his cell phone?" Ross asked already taking his own out of his pocket.

"Of course, Ross. That was the first thing I did when I realized he was late." Monica said.

"Oh, ok. But let me try again anyway. Maybe he couldn't answer the phone before." Ross said and hit the speed dial number connecting him with Chandler's cell phone. It rang five times and just as Ross wanted to take his phone from his ear he heard an answer.

"Hello, hello? Chandler?" Ross nearly screamed. "Who is there? And what are you doing with my friend's phone?" Ross asked.

Monica and Joey who had perked up with hope as soon as Ross started to talk assuming it was Chandler looked really frightened when they realized it wasn't Chandler on the other end. Then they saw Ross' face lose all its color.

"Oh my god." Ross whispered his wide eyes focusing on Monica.

TBC...

* * *

That's all for now. If you wanna know what happened to Chandler you have to review. I need to know if someone is reading and maybe even liking this story. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

"Ross, oh god. What's going on?!" Monica yelled.

Ross signaled Monica with his index finger to stay quiet.

"What happened?" Ross asked now and listened to the answer the person on Chandler's phone gave him. "Ok…ok. Thank you. We'll be there ASAP." Ross cut the connection and put his phone back into his pocket slowly. Even though it only took him a few seconds Monica couldn't wait any longer.

"Ross!" she screamed. "Who was that and where is Chandler?!"

"Mon, please calm down. That was someone at the hospital. Apparently Chandler was in an accident or something. We have to go down there for more information." Ross told them.

Monica jumped up pulling Joey with her.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go, let's go, let's GO!"

* * *

The three of them stormed into the hospital. After an agonizing long cab ride their patience was almost none existent.

"We are looking for Chandler Bing." Ross addressed the woman behind the admission desk.

"Hello to you too." She said but when she saw the looks wavering between annoyance, worry and panic the three people in front of her were throwing in her direction she hurriedly concentrated on her computer trying to find the person in question.

"Chandler Bing…Bing…oh, here he is. He is still in the OR." She said. "Looks like he needs lots of patching up surgery." She mumbled to herself but Ross heard her and prayed that Monica hadn't.

"Where can we go to wait for him? And I would like to talk to a doctor soon." Ross tried not to think about what happened to Chandler or else he would probably lose it. He wanted to be strong for Monica who by now was clutching desperately at Joey. They were both crying.

"Ok, I'll get you someone who will take you up to the OR waiting rooms and a doctor will come there to talk to you shortly." She told Ross. "Oh wait, am I right if I presume you are family?" She added.

"Yes. I'm his brother-in-law, that's his wife and his best friend." Ross pointed at Monica and Joey.

A few minutes later a nurse came and led them to a private waiting room and told them she would check if one of the doctors operating Chandler had time to talk to them.

They sat there nearly ten minutes trying not to think about what's happening when they were all startled by Ross' cell phone.

"I don't think you are allowed to leave that turned on in here." Monica stated with an emotionless voice. Ross shot her a look before answering.

"Hello…oh, Rachel…I forgot to call you and Phoebe…We're at the hospital…It's Chandler…We don't know yet…just…Rachel…just come down here. Oh, and could you tell Phoebe too?...Yeah, 2nd floor waiting room 4…Ok, bye." Ross shut off his phone after finishing the call. "Rachel is getting Phoebe and then they'll come here as fast as they can."

Monica nodded in recognition then put her head back on Joey's shoulder. She didn't know why but suddenly she felt sleepy. She blamed the worries of the last couple hours for her exhaustion and willed her thoughts to something happier. But that just made her feel worse because all her good memories included Chandler and it was the same with her future. Just that morning she had thought about it and she realized that she couldn't wait for the rest of her life. It all looked so perfect.

Perfect husband – even if the others especially Phoebe still couldn't believe Chandler could be perfect for her he was. Maybe it was her inability to put her feelings for Chandler into words that made others doubt her love sometimes. But it didn't matter to Monica and Chandler because they both knew what they meant to each other.

Perfect house – even though leaving her friends a few hours behind put a small damper on it she was 100% sure they did the right thing in buying it. Every time she pictured the house in her head she saw her future children playing happily in the large backyard. And as Ross had put it when they showed him the house a couple weeks ago, it was close enough for their parents to baby-sit but not so close that they would come over all the time.

Perfect children – because she knew that regardless if Erica gave birth to a boy or a girl the kid would be loved very much by her and by Chandler.

Monica's mind snapped back into the present and she realized that her whole future was unclear again. She could get the happy ever after she always dreamed of or it could all be taken away any moment.

Just as she started weeping again Phoebe and Rachel rushed through the glass door. When they saw the condition Monica was in they hurried right over to her. Phoebe sat down on her right side wrapping her arm around Monica's shoulder just above Joey's. Rachel kneeled down in front of her crying friend and used her left hand to rub Monica's leg in a calming manor. They both thought the worst had come true.

"What happened, Mon? Did you hear anything yet?" Rachel asked.

Just when Ross wanted to answer since Monica couldn't get her sobs under control he saw a doctor appear on the other side of the glass door. He turned towards the door but dreaded the man stepping inside the waiting room. He was sure the look on the medic's face couldn't mean good news. But before he could even think about anything to save them all from the assumedly bad news the doctor entered the room and took the few steps over to the friends.

Rachel stood up and turned around when she heard the door open behind her back and took a step aside to allow the surgeon to face the whole group.

* * *

"Mrs. Bing?" the young doctor automatically addressed Monica who just nodded her head not trusting her voice. "I'm sorry but…" The man in scrubs started, only to be getting interrupted by Monica.

"No." she whispered. "No, no, no." She shook her head not wanting to hear what she knew was coming. She buried her head at Joey's shoulder, clawing at his shirt to relieve some of her agony.

"I'm sorry." He started again, gulping down the knot in his throat. He knew that he'd have to bring news like this to bereaved a lot more often in his professional life to come. But this was only the second time for him and it still hurt him to see the grief on the faces of the patient's loved ones.

"We really did everything we could. But the injuries were just too severe." He said all the things doctors were taught to say in situations like that. But the prepared words didn't make the delivering any easier.

Joey heard the words the doctor said through some kind of fog and felt a huge pressure in his chest when they finally made sense to him. He looked down at Monica and the indescribable pain he saw on her face confirmed that he had actually heard the doctor right.

* * *

The five friends stood in front of the doctor, all of them openly crying because of their loss. Rachel and Phoebe were clutching each other trying to give and take the much needed support to handle the horrible news. Monica and Joey were standing side by side their arms thrown around the others shoulder trying to control their sobs. Ross was holding on to Monica's right hand still not able to comprehend the fact that Chandler was dead, that his brother-in-law would never again make fun of him. Of his love for dinosaurs…his inability to stay with a woman long before driving her away or…proposing. Ross was hit with the reality of his friends death and what it meant for all of them and he couldn't hold it together any longer. He freed his hand from Monica's tight grasp and sank down in the nearest chair. Bowing his head to rest it in his hands he started to cry like he never did before in his life.

The doctor wouldn't be able to stand the sight of the mourning people much longer so he hurried to say what he still needed to tell them. He hoped he could go back to his relatively safe work routine where he did his best to save his patients life trying not to get emotionally involved.

"If you want to say goodbye you can go see him now in operating room 4." He said and rushed out of the waiting room.

The friends stayed a few minutes in their places trying to compose themselves a little. They didn't know what to do until Monica broke Joey's hug.

"I want to go alone to say goodbye." She whispered, her voice sore from all the crying. The others just nodded and watched her go out of the room and turn left to follow the hallway to the OR's.

* * *

Monica felt like the corridor would go on forever but maybe that was just because she dreaded what lay at the end of her way. But even though the way seemed endless and no matter how much she feared what awaited her when she finished her walk she reached the door to the room where she knew Chandler's now lifeless body rested.

She took a deep breath and pushed the swing door open with both of her outstretched hands. As soon as she stood in the half-lit room all her strength left her and she couldn't bring herself to step closer to the operating table. It stood a few yards in front of her but she couldn't bring her eyes to focus on the body on top of the table. Her view roamed all over the room catching unimportant details to keep her mind from confirming Chandler's death.

She saw that someone had already cleaned the room cursorily. She registered the respirator, used just a few minutes ago, was already rolled back to its obvious usual place at the wall. Then she realized that the machine was used to try to save her husband and she couldn't take it any longer to be in that room without looking at him. She had to see his face for a last time. So she willed her legs to move the few steps till she stood beside the table.

She was afraid that she wouldn't even recognize him because of the accident. She didn't know where exactly Chandler's injuries were but suddenly she had an image of an unidentifiable bloody body in her mind and a new sob coursed through her.

She shook her head to get rid of the picture and took a deep breath. After a few seconds she pulled together enough willpower to look down at the love of her life.

"Oh my god." She whimpered.

TBC...

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AN: Thanks for all the fantastic reviews, guys. They are always very welcome. So please review this chapter too and maybe the next part will be posted as fast as this one. Fast for me anyway. ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel, Phoebe, Joey and Ross sat back down on the comfortable chairs in the private waiting room after Monica left. Ross looked to his left and saw that Phoebe and Rachel were still crying silently. But Joey was staring straight ahead with an emotion void expression on his face. He actually looked as numb as Ross felt.

Ross wanted to close his eyes and escape reality for a while when a nurse entered the room.

"Excuse me please, are you here for Chandler Bing?" she asked. Ross nodded when none of the others answered. The woman came over to him and handed him a big paper bag. On the questioning look Ross gave her she explained that the bag contained the things Chandler had on him when he was brought in. After finishing her task she gave Ross a last sympathetic smile and left.

Ross felt three curious pairs of eyes on him so he looked at every one of his friends before opening the large bag. With a puzzled look on his face he pulled out a pair of shoes he had never seen Chandler wearing.

A scream he knew came from Monica let him and the others jump up before he could pull out Chandler's briefcase.

* * *

Monica couldn't hold her view on the extremely damaged body lying before her. She didn't know if she could muster up enough courage again to look at Chandler. But before she would know she had to find the right room. She must have entered the wrong one since the person on the table wasn't Chandler.

She decided to ask someone for the right OR and stepped back into the hallway. She looked back in the direction where she came from before but didn't see anyone who worked at the hospital. She turned her head to the right just as she heard the near elevator doors open with a 'ding'.

"Monica?" a voice Monica had believed to never hear again asked.

She spun around and with a scream relieving all the anguish built up during the day she threw herself in the arms of her very much alive husband.

Monica heard footsteps shortly before she and Chandler got joined in their hug by four more people.

"Excuse me, but what's going on?" Monica heard Dr. Miller ask.

"I don't know." She answered happily, still holding on to Chandler. "But this is my husband, Chandler Bing." Monica pointed at Chandler. "I don't know the person in there." She said gesturing to the room behind them.

"But we identified him using his wallet and briefcase." The doctor said doubtful.

"Yeah, I got mugged this morning." Chandler said. "You must have accidentally confused him to be me because he had my stuff."

"But the photo on the ID card...we were sure it was the man carrying the wallet." The doctor said confused, studying Chandler more closely.

"Well, I'm not good at letting pictures taken of me." Chandler said a little embarrassed. "And the guy looked a little like me."

Monica took a step back and noticed his disarranged exterior and the bloody grazes on his face. She touched Chandler's cheek, worry already reappearing on her face.

"But you're ok, right Chandler?" She asked.

"Don't worry, Mon. Just a few scratches and two bumps on my head." He reassured Monica. "He hit me on the side of my head and pushed me into the street where I bumped my head too. Then everything went black. But thank god the cars could stop before running me over."

"Well, I guess your mugger didn't have that much luck." Phoebe said and gestured at the OR.

"Chandler…" Monica whispered. "I don't feel that good." With that she blacked out and would have fallen to the floor if Chandler hadn't caught her.

* * *

"Chandler!" Monica woke up suddenly startling Chandler who sat dozing beside her bed. She looked around and saw that she was in a hospital room.

"Easy there, Mon. You almost scared me to death." Chandler said clutching his chest.

"What happened?" Monica wanted to know lying back down in the bed.

"Hmm, let me ask you a few questions first." Chandler said. "Remember how you were often annoyed by little things lately?"

"Yeah." Monica answered carefully not really sure what Chandler was trying to say.

"And remember your weird hunger for chocolate cake sometimes during the last couple of weeks?" Chandler went on.

"Yeah, so? Then I ate a little more recently and put on a few pounds. I can't believe that bothers you. You said you would love me even if I'd balloon up. And I'm far from ballooning up, Mister!" Monica raged but got confused when she saw the silly smile on Chandler's face. "What are you grinning about?"

"I just can't believe you don't know where I'm going with this." He chuckled.

"Well, I don't!" Monica replied getting really mad. "And what has all that to do with me passing out?" she wanted to know.

"Ok, ok." Chandler relented. "I'll tell you. Well, the doctor said that all the excitement today was too much for you and the baby."

"Ba…baby?" Monica didn't know what to say.

"Yes…baby." Chandler confirmed, not being able to hold the happiness in any longer he laughed and pulled the still stunned looking Monica into his arms.

"Are we really pregnant?" Monica needed to ask again, her face pressed on Chandler's shoulder.

"We really are." Chandler verified stroking Monica's hair to calm her down.

"So now we don't need Erica's baby anymore." Chandler joked but Monica didn't see his smile. She pulled back from him with shock written over her face.

"Chandler Bing, when you even think about backing out of the adoption now I'll have to kill you." She threatened.

"Gee, Mon. I was just kidding." Chandler apologized.

"You know I don't find jokes like that funny. Especially when you make jokes about our kids." Monica admonished. But then she realized what she just said. "Oh my god, we'll have two babies, Chandler."

"I know." Chandler said. He couldn't believe he was so cool about it. But he had a little time to think things through while Monica was out cold and by the time she woke up he was actually so happy he couldn't wait for the babies to be born.

"Two babies, Chandler." Monica repeated beaming up at Chandler. "I love you." She added.

"I love you too, Mrs. Bing." Chandler smiled and with one hand resting on Monica's belly he added: "And I love you, baby Bing."

The End

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AN (contains Final Episode Spoilers): Since this kinda takes place during the show's timeline Chandler and Monica will actually end up with three kids. And I would like to quote Rachel here: 'I'm just sorry I won't be around to watch you two attempt to handle this.' Who else cried out 'Me too.' at that point? What, just me? Oh and was it just me too or did Monica look pregnant during the last few episodes? ;-) hehe.

So, that's it. I'm done. I finished a story in under a year. Yay. I hope you liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did like it then please tell me so in a review. Even if you just write 'I liked it.' It'd mean a lot to me.


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